A Specter Strike
by FairyClairey
Summary: It's Louis' birthday and the gang celebrate at the Bowling Alley... some party goers aren't as enthusiastic though... Inspired from 9x02. Enjoy and smile.


**_A short little cute one shot, inspired by Alex and Louis' male bonding scene from 9x02. The growth of our characters in season 9 is apparent and hopefully shows in our little fun outing below... Enjoy and review if you liked it! I haven't written in a while but as it's school holidays and I'm off work, I mustered some inspiration._**

**A Specter Strike**

'I see what you're doing, you know,' she smiled, glancing behind her as she swiped a light pink gloss across her lips.

'And what's that exactly?'

'Avoiding every opportunity to get ready.'

'I am not avoiding. I'm just making sure you know what you're letting yourself in for.' He rose from his sitting position at the end of the bed and stood behind her while she continued to apply her make up.

'Harvey,' she placed her blusher brush down and turned to face him, looking upwards slightly to match his eye-line. 'It's a celebration, you're meant to be celebrating.' She eyed him suspiciously as she turned towards her wardrobe, pulled a pair of dark blue fitted jeans off the shelf and began to slip them over her legs.

'Would it be rude if we just told Louis we celebrated for him here. Alone? I'm sure we'd throw him a much more eventful party over there...' he nodded towards the bed in the middle of the room.

Fastening up the last button of her jeans, she stifled a laugh, for a moment considering his extremely tempting offer.

'As much as I'd _love_ to celebrate Louis' forty fifth birthday with you. Doing _that_,' sarcasm dripping from her voice, 'If we don't go, he'll only turn up here and ruin our party...'

'At least _this_ party wouldn't involve Louis, ten pins and a very heavy ball...' Harvey begrudgingly began to change into his jeans, knowing full well he'd lost his last attempt at negotiating an out.

'Oh Harvey,' Her hand gently resting on his chest, 'Go easy on him, it's his birthday.'

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The overly bright neon signage lit the entrance to Lucky Strike while the smell of used bowling shoes was the first thing to make Harvey's nose turn up.

'It's not too late you know, he hasn't seen us yet,' He leaned down towards Donna's ear and whispered the last minute attempt at ditching the imminent horrifying torture he was about to endure.

'Where's your sense of fun? This is great!' Donna beamed at the crowded bowling alley at the same time as whipping off her size fives and handing them over to receive her own pair of white bowling shoes.

Harvey begrudgingly grabbed his shoes and followed Donna through the crowds towards what he could make out to be Louis' reserved lanes.

Alex, Katrina, Shelia, Samantha, Gretchen and Rachel were already fussing over ball sizes, attempting to master the score pad on the computer or sipping quickly on drinks in the hope the evening will go quicker.

Harvey cast his eyes around searching for Mike, who had made the journey back to New York the day before in order to take part in Louis' birthday celebrations. If it wasn't for Rachel's arm pulling and guilt tripping, Mike would have easily celebrated Louis' birthday in Seattle.

'Hey old man, are you sure you've got what it takes?' Mike beamed as he handed Harvey a bottle of cold beer. 'You hating this?' He whispered, swigging quickly on his beer.

'Every goddamn minute. . . Louis!' Harvey changed to a grin as Louis appeared next to Mike holding the most over decorated glass of pina colada he'd ever seen.

'So, did you go for the under 10's Hot Dog and Bowl Package or the Girls' Barbie Bowl themed one?' Harvey's sarcasm going amiss on an over excited Louis.

Deliberately ignoring his friend's dig at his party, Louis slurped loudly on his elaborate drink before turning to Mike, 'See what I mean?' Louis motioned towards Harvey as Mike nodded once agreeably.

As Louis strode off towards the rest of the eager group, Harvey turned to Mike.

'What was that all about?' He asked watching Louis embrace Donna in an over zealous hug.

Mike laughed, 'You'd never believe it if I told you.'

'Anything to do with Louis and a ball will bore me anyway,' Harvey swigged on his bottle, 'Come on, let's get this over with.'

The pair unenthusiastically made their way down the steps towards their highly spirited group of colleagues who had already set up the bowling order and teams.

Harvey scanned the screen above him, breathing a sigh of silent relief that Louis was on the opposite team and that he was teamed with Mike, Katrina and Alex.

'Looks like you're up against this bowling machine,' Donna teased from across the ball machine.

'Oh you're going down Paulsen...'

'Is that your fighting talk Specter?' her eyebrow raised and hand sliding over her bright pink ball.

She was up first for Louis' team. As she walked up to the line, his gaze landed on the way her jeans shaped her legs, Alex suddenly snapping him out of his glare.

'Hey, loverboy, no fraternising with the opposition. We need your head in the game; Louis is a beast!'

'A what now?' Harvey spluttered on his mouthful of beer looking back up just in time to see Donna's ball hurtle perfectly along the centre line, destroying the pins and scattering them across the lane.

'Strike! Oh yes baby!' She screamed, spinning around in the spot ready to grace Louis' palm with a high five.

'Oh Jesus, this isn't going to be good,' Harvey muttered, 'Why did I agree to this?'

Alex slapped his partner on the back, 'Are you telling me that THE Harvey Specter doesn't like bowling?'

'Something like that...'

'Well, you better like it in the next two minutes because you're up next after Katrina.' Alex gestured up to the scoreboard indicating Harvey's name next in line.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Meanwhile, in the adjacent lane...

'Come on Birthday Boy, show them what you're made of!' Shelia slurred, placing her Chardonnay down on the side, enjoying her first alcoholic outing since the birth of Baby Litt. In response to his fiancé's cheerleading, Louis buffered like a peacock on parade, took a deep breathe in, held his personalised jade coloured ball high and aimed down the lane.

Harvey rolled his eyes, anticipating the outcome; if his experience with Louis and any other form of ball game rings true, this was going to be hilarious...

As he watched Louis' poise and technique upon throwing the ball, Harvey's eyes trailed in amazement as the ball not only flew with speed like a G6, but also glided perfectly down the lane, striking the centre pin and dispersing each pin into oblivion.

For a moment, Harvey's mouth hung open, his breath escaping him and words were lost.

'Told you!' Alex interrupted Harvey's disbelief. 'That man is a bowling weapon!'

'He's a bowling something alright; there are times like this he amazes me, then there are times I wonder how he even managed to get through Law School.' Harvey snorted. His laughing cut short when he noticed Katrina finishing her turn.

'You're up Harvey!' she pointed up to the board - Harvey's name highlighting his turn.

Taking a deliberately extended amount of time to swig his bottle again, he admitted defeat and rose to his feet, picking up the nearest ball to him to get it over and done with as quick as possible.

'Come on Reginald, we need a Specter Strike!' Mike bellowed from behind him, raising his beer bottle in a salute of encouragement.

'Bowling isn't really my thing...' Harvey admitted as he walked up to the line.

Before lining up the ball, he cast his eyes over towards Donna who was sat quietly on the opposition bench, a knowing smirk fixed on her face; she knew. Trying his best to telepathically ask her to intervene, she simply smiled and shrugged.

'You're going down Litt, there's not a ball game that Harvey can't play!' Mike echoed across the lanes towards opposing 'Team Litt.'

'Oh to hell with it,' Harvey muttered as he sent the ball down the lane... only the ball had other ideas, swerving across to the left, he grimaced and closed one eye as it teetered on the edge of the gutter. Then with a resounding clatter, it hopped happily over the gutter's edge and rolled into the end of the lane past the deadly silent and still pins.

Silence fell behind him, as he began to turn around to face his team mates. Alex's eyebrows raised in astonishment while Katrina stopped midway in sucking her daiquiri up through her umbrella straw. Mike's loud snorting and hysterical laughter broke the silence.

'What?' Harvey asked, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, 'We can't have Louis lose on his birthday can we?'

Alex shook his head, taking note of the zero on the scoreboard, his competitive side clearly showing more than compassion for Louis' birthday.

'Goddammit Harvey, what the hell was that?' Louis stropped over and into the other team's area.

'What was what?' Harvey swigged his beer quicker than he needed, avoiding the Managing Partner's puzzled glare.

Louis eyed him suspiciously, 'You know what you did. I want a proper battle Harvey, I know you and I know there's not a ball game you can't play!'

'Louis, for what it's worth, I really did try, but it looks like you've actually found a sport you're better at than me... and don't say tennis or ballet because they're not proper sports.' Harvey pointed towards Louis with the top of his beer bottle. 'Now, appreciate this moment, as I'm organising a firm baseball game next month and I'll kick your ass!' Harvey smiled, 'Now if you don't mind, I fully intend to drink an exceptional amount of alcohol to get me through the next two games of losing to you!' Harvey stepped forward and patted Louis on the back and made his way towards the bar.

A wide smile spread over Louis' face, his birthday had been made. Not because Harvey lost to him, because Harvey didn't mind losing to him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

As Harvey ordered some more beers for the crowd he felt an arm glide around his waist, a gentle hand resting on the waistband of his jeans.

'You knew, didn't you?' he asked, while handing the bar tender money.

'Knew what? That you suck at bowing?' She looked up to his eyes with a sweet smile. 'Of course I knew, ever since 2009 when you tried to close Hank Sheridan and you 'claimed' you let him beat you when he wanted to take a meeting with you whilst playing here...'

'I blame the sophomore year shoulder injury in the baseball league, but you know me too well Paulsen and that's what I love about you,' he smiled down at her.

'Love about me?'

'Love about you.' His lips landing on hers, pulling her tighter as they forgot about the game still going on behind them.


End file.
